Swimming appliance



March 26, 1929. H. BEC'KERT 6,9 f

SWIMMING APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 17, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. BECKERT SWIMMING APPLIANCE March 26, 1929.

2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Dec. 17, 1927 l atented Mar. 26, 19

UNETED STATES HANS BECKER/1 E DRESDEN-LOBTAN, GERMANY. l

SWIMMING APPLIANCE.

v, Application filed December 17, 1927, Serial N'o. 240,883, and. in. Germany August 16, 1926.

The present invention has for its object to provide a swimming-appliance consisting of a swimmingshoe arranged with spoonshaped fins hinged to a sleeve surrounding the ankle-joint.

With known forms of construction the fins are frequently arranged. on the movable foot,

that is, below the ankle-joint, so that during the swimming-stroke, the fins always remain 10 in a position perpendicular to the middle line of the leg and will only increase the drive in the forward direction.

New for the purpose of not only increasing the drive in a forward direction but also for giving a buoyancy to the user (especially in the case of non'swimmers) and avoiding a sinking of his legs, the fins together with their sleeve surrounding the angle-joint are kept on the leg and above said ankle-joint in a fixed angular position with respect to the middle line of the leg and slanting toward the heel. ()wing to said invariable angleposition the swimmer gets, besides anintense drive in a forward direction, also a buoyancy by which a better swimming-effect and increased power of the swimming-action is secured. For the purpose of still more increasing said swimming-effect the fins arranged in the shape of one-sided spoons have a varying cross-sectional depth, in other words the hollowing is greatest on the side toward the heel. 7

By these means the advantage is obtained that a greater quantity of water is taken up by the spoon-shaped heel side of the fin and expelled whilst flowing along the nearly straight-portion toward the toe, being thus directed in a downward direction.

A practical embodiment of the present invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1. represents in a longitrulinal elevation the arrangement of the swimming-shoe resting on the foot,

Fi 9 in a longitudinal. lnick-clevat-imi the swimming-shoe with its fins turned up and Fig. 3 in a top-view the swinnning-shoe.

Fig. 4 shows a view of the ankle-joint sleeve resting on the foot and Fig. 5 said sleeve in plan.

As seen in the drawing, the swimmingshoe consists of the spoon-shaped fins a pro vided with the stiffening strips or ribs 6. The fins a consist of a resistant material, as tor instance aluminium, sheets of duralumin or the like and the stiffening strips or ribs 5 for instance of chromedsheets of brass or steel. The fins a are hinged to the front part c of a sleeve surrounding the can kle-joint and provided also with a yielding rear part h. Two resilient elements f are arranged adjacent the stiifening ribs Z; so as to contact with the face 9 of the sleeve surrounding the ankle-joint, Fig. 2, for reducing the shock of the fins against the sleeve mentioned.

; The sleeve surrounding the ankle-joint is connected with a pin (Z arranged below the soleof the foot by the wire stays 2', It, said .pin being covered or surrounded by sponge rubber or the like in order to protect the sole of the foot. Springs 0 can be inserted between the pin (l and the fins a niovably fastened to the sleeve surrounding the ankle joint; by said springs the fins are held or drawn in a downward direction in such a manner that the fins situated at the inner side of the foot neither knock against each other during walking nor touch the floor. In this manner the fins do not hinder the swimmer in any way.

The fins arranged in the shape of onesidcd spoons have a varying cross-sectional depth (Fig. 1), in that the greatest depth is found on the side toward the heel for the purpose of taking up on this side the greater quantity of water which flows along the nearly straight portion of the fin and, during the swimming operation, is obliquely directed downwardly. The fins a may be provided at their bent stiffening edges with a rubber rim a for the purpose of avoiding the user hurting himself by the fin-edges. The sleeve surrounding the ankle-joint can be covered by a layer of sponge rubber or the like m to ensure a safe rest of the sleeve around the ankle-joint and prevent said ankle-joint being injured.

The ankle-joint sleeve consists oi the front part 0 and the rear yielding part 711 which is tastencd to the wire-stays 71: so as to be tilted. On applying the sleeve around the anklejoint the yielding ends of both halves of the sleeve snap into each other and cause their mutual connection. A plurality of slots 0 are arranged near the yielding ends of the sleeve-halt 6, so allowing the use of the sleeve for different diameters of the ankle-joint. Said part c is provided at its longitudinal edge with grooves formed by the flaps w,

into which the yielding ends of the rear part hare introduced", wherebythe fiat sprin s m carrying noses snap into the slots a. fire closed sleeve can easily be opened bydrmw ing the flat springsw carrymgthe noses out p of the slots 0.

By the swimming-shoe describedabove-the advantage is obtained that the fins together with their sleeve surrounding the anklejoint are kept on the leg above said ankle joint in a fixedangularposition with respect- 'to the middle line of the leg and slanting toward the .heel in such a manner that owing fastened to the limb above-the ankle joint,

said'members being supported in a fixed angular position with respect to the middle lineof the limb and being'slanted downward with respeetto said line toward the rear of the ankle to insure an upward as well as forward propelling effect.

2. A swimming deviee of the character described comprising, an anklet to be fastened on a limb of a swimmer, and propelling members attached to the said anklet, said propel-ling members being shaped like onesided spoons and having a greater eross-sccti'onal' depth in the portion at the heel.

A swimming device of the character described eomprising, an anklet to be fastened to a limb of a swimmer, said anklct inelnrling aresiliently padded rigid front portion, a resiliently padded rear portion, means for securing said portions together in various adjusted positions, propelling members attached to the front portion, a. sole engaging meniber, and hinged wire stays attached to said front and rear portions and adapted to retain them in proper position and to support the rear portion for pivotal movenu-nt with the sole member as a fulcrum to facilitate applying and removing the device.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this 3rd day of December, 1927.

HANS BECKERT.

Ill 

